The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1887-03-16

patient ofeXcessive moisture, hence
w~ell-drained land and rolls not too
close suit them best. A high south
east slope is the best for q vineyard.
Stalking has II advantage over
trclliseS, it allows the grapes to be
plowed in more than one direction.
This is very desirable in the general
breaking up the vineyard should
have i'm winter, otherwise there is
no special advantage in stalking.
Wire trelliscs arc cheaper than
stakes, as comparatively few posts
are required for the tTeliis. The
vineyard shou be plOwed thorouh-
ly, but not too deeply, every winter,
having care that the roots Of the
vines arc not torn up much. Some
will necessarily DO cut. Before
blowing, scatter around each vine
(not right up against it) q mixture
of ashes and cowlOt manure or wood
earth. or somcthi 6 similar; from
one to three quarts ofashcS to each
vine is desirable. Amy quantity
Of woods earth, the more the better;
but of manure only u moderate
quantity should be applied. The
first year the vine are set OutsOme
crop may be planted in the middles,
but the rows should not be nearer
To the vines than four feet. Some
low-growing crop is preferable.
Avoid II which will shade the
vines. Cotton is better than corn;
peas, that do not not run too mu ch
better than either. After the first
year give up the vineyard wholly
to the vines. ASH land is a minor
consideration in this county, 6 i've
the vines ample distance: ten feet
each way is mono too much, though
ten by eight is frequently adopted.
The Ives is n Of the earliest
and n Of the hardest varieties,
does not rot, and when allowet to
ripen full is a passably good grape.
But it is not fully ripe until some
weeks after it turns black, is gener-
ally eaten green and therefore re-
garded as a poor grape. Next in
ease Of cultivation and certainty of
bearing is the Concord. 1t rots
badly at times, but is a sure bearer,
ana Is the most popular variety
with the masses. The cuttings root
very readily, and the vines are
very strong and thrifty. The Pork
ms is a hardy variety-but musky
and not relishcd bysomc. Elmira
is hardy and good. Delaware the
most popular of all with those Of
dainty palate, but is delicate when
young, and requires more
ing and better cultivation than
most varieties; does we'll after it is
we'll established, and is
lively free from rot.
THE CULTURE OF RooTs.-The
culture Of root crops is profitable
in more than n way. The roots
are excellent for all kinds Of stock,
especially sheep, and COWS for ma
king butter, and also for swine. AS
these special kinds of stock are well
suited to Il climate and locality
1T follows that we should grow root
crops of some kind for the ir uses.
But their culture is exceedingly
useful to the soil and improves it
both by means of the manure used
and the clean cultivation needed
by which the too prevalent weeds
are kept dewn. They yield a large
quantity Of food, by which many
animals can be fed, and thus q large
quantity of manure is made for the
enrichment Of the land.
The best roots are sugar bocts
and mangcls, these being devoid of
anyill odor or flavor which might
lnJure the butter made. For all
other stock than COWS, ~turnips or
r~uta-bagas may be used, but they
are no more easily grown than the
beets and mangels, and these are
most nutritious. The former con-
tain about II or ~ per cent of sugar
and are thus worth for feeding sew
cral times more than the others.
Sweet potatoes are perhaps the
best and most easily grown crop of
this kind, as they are richer in SUI
gar n starch, which are elements
iood most useful for fattcning
But they yiuid no more than a
third as much as the roots above
named, which will produce from
500 to 1900 bushels per acre when
well grown. AS the culture Of
sweet potatoes, however, is well
all over the Southern
states. this crop might be largely
grown for feeding stock, and the
sugar beets might be tried in a
small way as a beginning.